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Saturday, Aug 30, 2008
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The B-52s pump it up at the Showbox |
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| The B-52s pump it up at the Showbox | |
| by Richard Kennedy -
SGN A&E Writer THE B-52S MAY 7 THE SHOWBOX (MARKET) The summer concert season got an early kick-start this week when legendary party band The B-52s gave a sold-out performance at the Showbox. When I first heard their fantastic new album Funplex, I knew I would not miss any tour that followed the release. Rather than take the easy route and create radio-friendly pop tunes, or even club-friendly dance tracks, the Bs stuck to their tried and true formula, giving the album a retro feel full of synth-rock that likened back to classic albums. After years of playing large outdoor venues and festivals lined up with other artists, they came back to their roots and blew their audience away in a smaller club setting. In fact, it was the first track of the new album, "Pump," that they brilliantly opened with. The rest of their band, consisting of a bassist, drummer and keyboards, waited at the back of the stage in the dark (sad to say but let's face it, we weren't really there to see them) as Keith Strickland, Fred Schneider, Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson lit up the front when they emerged onstage. Pulsing beats filled the place, Schneider in cool shades and vintage black button-up wryly exclaimed, "I look at you and I'm ready to pump! Luminous heartthrob ready to jump!" Pierson and Wilson took over from there, blending their vocals perfectly, "Mama's dancin' with jellybone, You better watch out, Take you to the freak zone!" One guy next to me, part of the over-50 crowd, was on fire as he jumped up and down. He explained he had waited over 20 years to see his favorite band in a club setting like this. The four cult icons certainly have years on them now, but each looked fantastic and they gave enough energy to keep the floor bouncing the entire time. Schneider, on guitar, looked hot as ever. As usual, it was the girls that stole the show. Wilson wore her trademark blonde locks and a hot pink tunic. She danced around the stage in between her keyboard and bongo work. "Hello, Seattle! This next song is a study in ancient history!" she announced, which threw the fans into a frenzy. "Mesopotamia" was the first classic hit they did, and the dykes in front of me were waving their arms while the group of hot bears to the left danced their asses off. Everyone sang along to "My Own Private Idaho," and they screamed with Wislon as she belted out her solo number "Give Me Back My Man." Pierson was luminous with her bright red hair and blonde streaks, her vixen-y bosom popping out of her silver lame and patent leather corset. She dedicated "Roam" to all those hippies on a trip while the largely Gay audience swayed and joined in the chorus with them. Much of the new material stood out, even if the crowd wasn't joining in on the verses. It never felt like a dull moment with gems like "Juliet of the Spirits" and "Ultraviolet," which Schneider deemed was about the never-ending search for the elusive G-spot. "Funplex" is the standout song of all the new stuff. "Oh you broke my heart at the funplex, yes you did & Faster pussycat thrill thrill. I'm at the mall on a diet pill!" - it's quintessential B-52s that didn't distract from the crowd favorite, "Strobe Light," that followed. Two more of their '90s hits were visited with "Channel Z" and "Love Shack." Schneider said "Z" was their political rant and that "someday we'll be rid of all those right wingers" to which the adoring mass cheered on with passion. As for the latter, I haven't felt such tension for one line in a song ever. You could feel the energy building until that wild moment of "Love Shack" when it silences and Wilson, along with every single person in the house, shouted, "tin roof & RUSTED!" It was the perfect finale before the encores. The symphonic and slow build to the first encore had us anticipating their return for what everyone knew would be "Planet Claire." When these post-punk musicians stormed the scene in the early '80s, they were innovative and radical; punk meets dance meets chaos. They reminded us as Schneider waved a walkie-talkie around his mic, creating reverb and then the pulsing blips of "Claire." It was one of the many moments when Pierson's voice showed her range and power as she moaned and warbled in perfect pitch to the spacey anthem. "Love in the Year 3000" followed, and didn't have the same energy - since everyone was waiting anxiously for the finale they knew would be "Rock Lobster." "LET'S GO TO THE BEACH!!" Fred exclaimed, and the place went apeshit! Shaking and shimmying, the packed house even went "down, down" to the ground upon command and jumped right back up for "Let's Rock!" Sweaty fans screamed as the four Athens, Georgia natives waved goodbye, proving that true originals never fade away. |
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